Talent gap threatens 700K jobs in Philippine IT-BPO
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) President and CEO Jack Madrid warned that the current talent shortage could affect the Philippines IT-BPO industry.
In an interview with ANC’s Insight, Madrid noted the increasing complexity of jobs and the challenges in finding graduates equipped to handle them.
He said that although the demand for Filipino talent is high, the current supply doesn’t meet industry needs.
As the IT-BPO sector evolves, employees must possess foundational skills like comprehension and communication while mastering specifics like healthcare, animation, or game development.
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) also further magnifies the importance of core skills such as empathy and teamwork.
Even as the Philippines is a prominent figure in the global IT-BPM market, emerging competitors like Colombia, Poland, and Vietnam focus on enhancing their workforce’s skills.
Madrid pointed out IBPAP’s goal to add one million jobs by 2028, aiming for a workforce of 2.5 million from today’s 1.7 million. Yet, the nation will forfeit up to 700,000 jobs if the talent gap persists.
To avoid this problem, Madrid stressed the urgency of educational reforms and targeted upskilling to ensure the sector’s continued growth.
In an earlier interview with Bloomberg, the IBPAP chief revealed that they are partnering with the Philippines’ Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to revamp the IT education program in the country and align it with current trends within the IT-BPO sector.
